Why the US, UK and Canada Accept Translations Made in Czechia (Unlike Much of Europe)

Preparing documents for the US, UK or Canada and worried a translation made here in Czechia won’t be accepted there? That fear is often justified elsewhere in Europe, where many countries require a translator registered locally. With the US, UK and Canada, the situation runs the other way. This guide explains why, country by country.

• USCIS (USA) doesn’t require a translator from any specific country — a signed statement of accuracy and competence is enough, under 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3).
• UK Home Office accepts a translation made abroad if the translator is a member of an official body in their own country — a Czech sworn translator meets that criterion.
• IRCC (Canada) accepts a translation from an independent translator abroad, provided a signed accuracy statement is attached — something a Czech sworn translator’s clause already covers.
• This is the exception, not the rule — many European countries (France, Poland, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain) are considerably stricter.

This is the clearest and simplest of the three systems, and it’s written directly into US federal regulation.

Under 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3), any foreign-language document submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, along with the translator’s own certification of competence to translate from that language. USCIS doesn’t require any government-issued license, and there’s no requirement tying the translator to a specific country — a signed statement with the translator’s name, signature, date, and contact details is sufficient.

The UK system works on a different logic than the American one, but the outcome for a Czech translation is equally favourable.

The UK Home Office accepts translations made abroad as long as the translator is a member of an official professional body in their own country. A Czech sworn translator (soudní překladatel), appointed by the Czech Ministry of Justice, meets exactly that criterion — it’s an official status confirmed by a state authority, not a private certification.

The Canadian system is also tied not to the translator’s country, but to whether a specific accuracy document accompanies the translation.

IRCC accepts a translation from an independent translator abroad, provided a signed accuracy statement is attached — which is essentially what a Czech sworn translator’s clause already provides. An additional notarised affidavit usually isn’t needed if the translator isn’t a member of a Canadian professional body, though requirements can vary by immigration programme.

This contrast becomes especially clear once you compare it with what happens in neighbouring European countries.

Unlike the US, UK, and Canada, many European countries require a translator registered specifically in that country — France’s traducteur assermenté, Poland’s tłumacz przysięgły, Bulgaria’s accredited-agency system, or Spain’s handful of traductores jurados covering the Czech-Spanish pair nationwide. A Czech certified translation often isn’t accepted as a substitute there. With the US, UK, and Canada, that problem simply doesn’t exist.

For the Ukrainian-English pair, a document is usually either heading abroad or arriving from abroad, and a handful of categories come up again and again.

Knowing that a Czech translation is generally accepted by all three countries, ordering one takes just a few minutes.

Send us a scan of your document, and we’ll confirm pricing and turnaround within 24 hours. Standard price is 900 CZK per standard page, with express turnaround within 24 hours available for a 50% surcharge on the total order price. We still recommend confirming requirements with the specific institution before submitting.

We’ll confirm pricing and turnaround within 24 hours — a translation with a Czech sworn translator’s stamp is generally accepted by all three countries.